Grace of God. Now, in John 17,
we're looking back at the Lord's Prayer. Last week, I brought
unto you the Lord's Prayer, Part 1. And, of course, today is the
Lord's Prayer, Part 2. And we'll look at verses 2, 3,
and maybe look at verse 4 for just a little bit. So again,
as we look at this prayer of our Lord, we must approach and
read this prayer of our blessed Savior. Let us do so with humility,
with humility of mind. Let us do so with awe and reverence
as the Lord told Joshua, take your shoes off. You're on holy
ground as you approach and look at this scripture in light of
who this is praying, God Almighty, and what this prayer is about,
you can read on the back of the bulletin, I think there's a pretty
good article, an outline of this prayer about what the Lord is
praying about as a high priest, as the intercessor for us. And again, The words here of
our Lord are for us, that He's praying for us, are forever perpetual
and prevailing before the throne of God's grace. For His intercession
for us is eternal. From eternity to eternity, thou
art God. He said, I'm the Lord, beside
me there is no other God. So his prayer for us is everlasting. He's always prayed for us. He's
always been our mediator. He's always been our Savior.
He's always been our advocate. There's never been a time when
God hasn't looked at His elect in the Lord Jesus Christ. As
He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that
we should be holy, unblameable, unreprovable in Him. You see, the Lord Jesus ever
lives right now, right now, He's ever-living right now to intercede
for us this very moment. He makes our worship acceptable.
He makes our prayers acceptable. unto God our Father in Christ. Now let's read verse one and
two. We're gonna look at verse two today, and verse three. These
words spake the Lord Jesus Christ. These are the words he spoke
as a prophet of God unto his covenant people, and then he
praised for them as the priest of God, lifted up his eyes to
heaven, to the throne of God, and said, Father, the hour is
here. This is that appointed hour, this is that decreed hour,
that the Lord Jesus Christ, by His bloody sacrifice, would glorify
God's justice, and glorify His mercy, and glorify His love. The hours come, glorify Thy Son,
that the Son also may give Thee all the honor and glory, as Thou
hast given Him The Father gave the Son all power, power over
all flesh. That He should give eternal life. Now we see that eternal life
is a gift. That he should give eternal life.
To as many as. To as many as walk an aisle. To as many as make a decision. To as many as come through to
the mourner's bench and pray through. To as many as. That's
not what it says. To as many as thou hast given
him. Where do you get these people?
If you look at this prayer carefully, he mentions this people given
unto the Lord Jesus Christ. Six or seven times he talks about
those you have given to me. He's talking about the elect
of God. He's talking about those covenant people chosen in Christ
before the foundation of the world. Thou has given him eternal
life. Thou has given unto them eternal
life. This is life eternal that they might know thee, that they
might know thee The only true God. The only true God. Now there's just one God. He's
a true and living God. And His name is Jesus Christ.
He's the Christ that sent of God. Now in verse 2, we see at
least two things here. We see what God the Father gave
unto the Lord Jesus Christ as the God-Man Mediator. He gave him, says here, power,
power, all power over all things, especially in salvation. We say that He is sovereign in
salvation, that He will have mercy on whom He will have mercy. Now, we understand that as God
the Son, we understand that the Lord Jesus Christ as God, He
never ceased to be God when He's manifested in the flesh. He never
stopped being God. But as God, the eternal God the
Son, Christ as God already possesses all and absolute power over all
things, right? As God, as the Son of God, as
God the Son, He possesses all and absolute power over all things. You remember the heathen came
to David in Psalm 115 and said, David, where is your God? We know where our God is over
here in the temple of Dagon or over one of these temples of
idolatry. We know where our God, He is
where we put Him, where we take Him, how we make Him. David, where's your God? Remember
the answer? Our God is in the heavens, and
He has done whatsoever He has pleased to do. You see, the Lord
Jesus Christ as God has eternally possessed all and absolute sovereign
power over all things. We say that He is sovereign in
creation. We studied that in our Bible
study this morning. He created all things by the
Word of His power. He is sovereign in providence.
The things that unfold in time are by His sovereign will and
providence. Nothing sneaks up on God. Everything
that happens is decreed of God. That terrible mudslide out there
in Washington, that just didn't, it wasn't an accident. God on
purpose brought that by His decree. Of Him and through Him and to
Him are all things to whom be glory. And God is sovereign in
creation, God is sovereign in providence, and God is sovereign
most certainly in salvation. It's not of Him that willeth,
nor of Him that runneth, but it's God that shows mercy on
whom He will. But what we see here in this
verse, the Lord Jesus Christ prays here in His office character
as the surety, as the mediator, as the advocate, as the God-man. As the God-man, God had given
Him all power, even as He's manifested in the flesh, He has all power. He raised the dead. The God man
did. Why? God gave him all power.
He gave sight to those who could not see. Blind Bartimaeus, Lord
have mercy on me. What do you need? Sight? Okay,
I'll give you sight, I'll give you eyes to see. You see, He
raised the dead, He gave sight to those who were blind. He made the lame who had never
walked, He made them to walk again. You see, as the God-man,
He was given all authority, all power over demons, devils. They obeyed Him, didn't they?
He is as the surety of the everlasting covenant. He has all power as
the surety of the everlasting covenant. He has all power as
the mediator of that covenant. He has all authority and all
power. as the advocate of that covenant. Advocate. We have an advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. Aren't you glad
that He has all power as our advocate? The Father had given
Him power. Power. Power. All authority. in his character as surety, mediator,
advocate for his covenant people. I'm glad that our Lord to whom
we serve is the absolute God who cannot fail. God has decreed
the Lord Jesus Christ to be Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Now we often hear religious people
say, well, make Jesus your Lord. He's not Lord by something we
do. That cannot be. He is Lord by God's decree. We read it last week from Acts
chapter 2 verse 36. God had made that same Jesus
whom you crucified, God had made Him both Lord and Christ. We bow to His Lordship, we own
His Lordship, but we don't make Him Lord. He is Lord. By God's
decree, to this end, to this purpose, Christ both died and
rose and revived, that He might be Lord of the dead and the living. It says here that He has power
over somebody. All flesh. Does that include
you? Does that include everybody in
Pike County? Does that include everybody in
Kentucky? Does that include everybody in the United States? In this
world? Absolutely. He has absolute authority
and power over all flesh. Over all men without exception. All power. What is the extent
of His power? Unlimited. Unlimited. He has unlimited power. over
all things. The Father loveth the Son hath
given, you remember John 335, all things into His hand. The Lord declares, turn to Matthew
28, the Lord declares the risen God-man mediator Our Savior,
our God, and our Lord. In Matthew 28, verse 18, the
risen Lord again declared unto his apostles and to us, saying,
all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Now, knowing that I have all
power, that I have all authority, you go therefore and teach and
preach and baptize in my name. Teaching them to observe all
things that I've commanded you and lo I'm with you always We
can go with confidence and assurance that he's gonna bless what he
told us to do He commanded us to go and preach the gospel and
We can be assured that he's gonna bless what he commanded Because
you know what he has all power. I He has all authority. I can
go with confidence and assurance knowing that God will bless His
Word. He has all power, all authority, absolute over all things. Now listen to these scriptures.
Well, let's turn and read them. They're right here close to John
17. Turn to John 5. Back to John
5. He has all power to judge. All power to judge. Look at John
5, 25. The Father judged no man, but
hath committed all judgment unto the Son. Now in Acts chapter
17, I think it's verse 31, God hath appointed a day in which
He will judge the world in righteousness by that man who has all power,
all authority to judge, right? Now stay right here in John chapter
5, look at verse 21. He has all power to quicken and
raise the dead. For as the Father raises up the
dead and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickens whom He will. Now, if He doesn't have all power,
He can't raise me from the dead. I need a Savior that is powerful. I need a Savior that is absolute
sovereign over all things because my condition is so desperate. If He's weak and anemic and unable,
if He's not almighty and powerful, I don't have any hope of salvation
because I'm by nature dead in sin. Aren't you glad he has all
power to raise the dead? You hath he quickened who were
dead? He has all power to forgive sin? All power to forgive sin? Turn back to Matthew chapter
9. He has all power, all power to judge? All power to raise
the dead? Aren't you glad that he has all
power and authority to forgive your sin? You remember in Matthew
chapter 9, the Lord said to this man, sick of the palsy, lying
on his bed, verse 2, Jesus, seeing their face, said unto the sick
of the palsy, Son, be of good cheer, thy sin be forgiven thee.
And behold, certainly the scribes said within themselves, well,
this man blasphemes. And the Lord, knowing their thoughts,
wherefore, think ye evil in your hearts, for when it is easier
to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee, or to arise and walk, but
that you may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to
forgive sin. Then he said to the sick of the
palsy, Rise, take up your bed, and go unto thy house." Aren't
you glad he has all power, all authority to put away all your
sin? You can't do it. No man can do it. The church
can't do it. No earthly priest can do it. No earthly pope can do it. No
preacher can do it. The Lord Jesus Christ alone has
all power to put away our sin. He has all power to forgive sin. He has all power to reveal God. Turn back to Matthew again, find
Matthew 11. He has all power to reveal God. Look at Matthew chapter 11. God has hid these things from
the wise and prudent, and revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father,
for so it seemed good in thy sight. Now look at Matthew 11,
27. All things are delivered unto
me and my Father. No man knoweth the Son, but the
Father. Neither knoweth any man the Father
save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. No man knoweth the Son, but the
Father, neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and
he to whom the Son will reveal Him." He has all power to reveal
God unto us. He is the revelation of God.
Aren't you glad the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is the
power of God unto salvation? We believe the gospel. Turn over here to Ephesians chapter
1. Often times when you talk to people who are unbelievers,
and you talk to them about the sovereignty of God, and that
God, that salvation is of the Lord, immediately they begin
to bring up arguments, well, a sinner must repent, a sinner
must believe. Well, yes, he must repent, and
he must believe, but he only can do so by the power of God. You see, both faith and repentance
are sovereign gifts of God. Well, a sinner must believe the
gospel. Absolutely, that's so. But how is that going to happen?
How is that going to happen? Well, let's find out. Ephesians
chapter 1, verse 19. What is exceeding greatness of
His, uh oh, His power, not my power, His power, to usward who
believe. How do we believe? According
to the working of His mighty power. That's how we believe.
That's how any sinner believes, according to the work of His
mighty power. What kind of power are we talking
about? Resurrection power. Look at the next verse. "...which
He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and
set Him at His own right hand in heavenly praises." Oh, now
we're talking about real power. The power that only comes with
God, who can speak in absolute power. Power. Power. Power. Thinking of this scripture
over here, don't turn, let me see if I can find it. Over here
in 1 Corinthians chapter 4, where it says, The kingdom of God is
not in word, but in power. In power. The gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ. No wonder Paul says, I'm not
ashamed of the gospel. I told my neighbors the other
day, I said, I don't need a peanut God. I need somebody who is God. A God who is God. who was able
to save to the uttermost. Now, back to the text. John 17,
verse 2. Thou hast given him power over
all flesh, that this one who is our advocate, charity, mediator,
who has all power, that he should give. Someone said he's obligated
to give eternal life to somebody. to as many as thou hast given
Him." Eternal life. We also see here what the Lord
Jesus Christ gives unto His people by His sovereign absolute power. He gives them what we don't have
by nature. Life. Eternal life. Eternal salvation. You remember
in John 10, he said, my sheep hear my voice, I know them and
I give unto them eternal life. Salvation is a gift of God. The sovereign savior gives eternal
life. Now to whom does he give eternal
life? Does he try to give eternal life
to everybody? Now, if he's almighty and all
powerful, Does he try to do anything? No, he does all things after
the counsel of his own will. Those given unto him in that
covenant of grace, he's obligated to give unto them eternal life. Obligated. Look over here in
John chapter 6. Who are these people that he
should give them Eternal life. John 6 verse 37. Who are these people? These people
are the elect of God, chosen in Christ Jesus before the foundation
of God that the purpose of God according to election might stand.
John 6 37 all that the father giveth me shall come to me and
those that come to me I will in no wise cast out for I came
down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him
that sent me and this is the father's will which has sent
me that of all which he had given me I should lose nothing but
give that I should lose nothing, but raise it up again at the
last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone
would see it the Son, and believe it on him, may have everlasting
life, and I'll raise him up at the last day." There is none
that will perish for whom the Lord Jesus Christ died. They cannot perish. He paid their
debt. He gives them life, righteousness. We have peace with God through
our Lord Jesus Christ. These folks are described here,
notice back in John 17 verse 2, that He should give eternal
life to as many as, as many as thou hath given Him. We read in Acts 13, 48, as many
as were ordained to eternal life as many as that were ordained
to eternal life believed God. That's who's going to believe
the gospel. Those who are ordained to eternal
life. We read last Sunday from Acts
chapter 2, the promises unto you and to your children, to
all that the Lord, all that are far off, even as many as the
Lord our God shall call. He calls them with an irresistible
effectual call. Now here's another one of those
as many as, turn back to John chapter one. John chapter one. Verse 11. John one, verse 11. He came unto his own, his own
received him not, but as many as, you see that again? As many
as received him, To them gave he power. Now, who gives this
right or privilege? And that's what the word there
means. The right or privilege to become sons of God, even to
them that believe on his name, which were born, not of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God.
We believe and receive the gospel because we're born of God. Which we're born. It gives three
negatives. Not, we're not born again because
of any Heritage in the flesh not of blood not a bloodline
salvation doesn't run in bloodlines Nor of the will of the flesh
nor the will of man We believe the gospel as many as received
him do so because they're born of God Whosoever believe with
that Jesus is the Christ is born of God okay, look at verse 3
now John 17 verse 3 and This is life eternal, that they
might know Thee, the only true God, and I like to leave out
this word, A-N-D, the only true God, comma, Jesus Christ. The one sin of God. Now make
sure you have the one sin of God. Make sure you don't have
a counterfeit Christ. Make sure you have a genuine,
the genuine Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ. Eternal life. That our blessed Savior purposed
and purchased, He freely gives unto His covenant people. And
it's everlasting life. Eternal life and life eternal.
In verse 2 it says He gives them eternal life and then it says
life eternal. Eternal life and life eternal.
He saves us with an everlasting salvation. He gives unto us and
obtained for us, in Hebrews we studied, He obtained for us eternal
redemption with His own blood. Now, let me tell you what eternal
life is not. Salvation is not a mere profession
of religion. Everybody's done that. Everybody's
made a profession of religion even the irreligious they have
a profession of I'm irreligious, okay everybody has Professing
profession of some kind but salvation is not a mere profession of religion
nor is it a simple Reformation of manners. Well you know I quit
drinking, I quit smoking, I quit dancing, I quit, I quit, I quit,
I quit. So what you have is a religion
of not. I touch not, taste not, handle not. That's not salvation. Reformation of manners is not
salvation. That's okay if you clean up your
act a little bit. But that's not going to save
your soul or justify you or make yourself righteous. Nor is salvation
a knowledge of facts about the Bible. You can know all kind
of Bible facts. How many verses? How many books? How many days? How many places? And be totally ignorant of the
message of this book. Because the message of this book
is Christ and Him crucified. Salvation does not merely exist
in joining the church. Everybody's done that two or
three times. Two or three different churches.
Salvation does not exist in being baptized. Salvation is not in baptism.
Judas and Simon Magus possessed all those things and yet missed
eternal salvation, missed forgiveness, missed redemption. But rather
eternal life and salvation is knowing this is life eternal. Look at the text. That they might
know Thee, the only true God, Jesus Christ. Now make sure you
trust the Christ of God, the Christ of God that cannot fail.
This eternal life and salvation is knowing the true and living
God as He's revealed in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now we read in our Bible study this morning God who commanded
the light to shine out of darkness has shined in our heart to give
us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God that's seen
and shined in the face of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. This salvation that is of the
Lord is a heart experience of grace within, knowing who God
is as he's revealed in the scripture. Christ in you is the hope of
glory. It gets all back to this. Salvation
is in a person. Salvation is in a person. Not
in a persuasion. Not in a position. Salvation is in a person. It's
knowing the only true and living God, Jesus Christ. The true and
living God, Jesus Christ. Now this is who the Lord Jesus
Christ is. He is the true and living God.
Now let's look at some scripture. Let's find 1 Timothy chapter
1. This is the Christ of God that
cannot fail. This is the Christ of God that
sent of God, that's ordained of God, that's anointed of God
in all of his office as prophet, priest, and king. 1 Timothy chapter
1 verse 15, and this is the faithful saying, worthy of all acceptation
that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom
I'm chief. He came to save his people from
their sin, he cannot fail. How be it for this cause I obtain
mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering
for pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life
everlasting. Now unto the king eternal, immortal,
invisible, the only wise God be honor and glory forever and
ever, amen. Salvation is knowing the only
true and living God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn to 1 John
chapter 5. 1 John chapter 5, look at verse
10. He that believeth on the Son
of God hath the witness in himself. He that believeth not, God hath
made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave
of his Son. And this is the record that God
hath given unto us, eternal life, and this life is in his Son. That's pretty clear, isn't it?
He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son of God
hath not life. Now who is this Son of God? He is God Almighty. Look at verse
20, verse John 5, 20. And we know the Son of God is
come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is
true. We are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ.
This is the true God, eternal life. You see, salvation is knowing
the only true God, believing and bowing to the only true God. Now again, we see the Lord Jesus
Christ is God our Savior. He is the Sent one of God. He is sent of God, the Father,
to accomplish our salvation. Look at the last line in verse
3 of John 17, verse 3. Whom thou hast sent. The one
sent of God. Remember our Lord said, there'll
be many that come in my name. Make sure you trust the one sent
of God. The one sin of God. Our blessed
Redeemer is no unsent Savior. He's no amateur. He's no rookie.
He's the only authorized Redeemer. He's the only genuine Redeemer. There is no other. Salvation
in no other. He is the one sin of God. Fullness
of time, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the
law, to redeem them that were under the law. Because He is
sent of God to do the work of God, by the decree of God, by
the will of God, our blessed Redeemer is successful, victorious. He's not a defeated, frustrated
reformer. He's absolute victorious, conquering
king. You remember that scripture that
I said is the key to the book of Revelation? Revelation 6 verse
2. He went forth conquering and
to conquer. Thanks be unto God who has given
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. He finished the
work. Look at verse 4. I have glorified
thee on the earth, I have finished the work that you gave me to
do. You see, He left nothing. Our blessed Lord successfully
finished the work for us. He left nothing undone. He left
nothing for us to do. Nothing. Our salvation is not
due, our salvation is Done. Now there's a nice track out
on the table out front there that's entitled Do or Done. Do
or Done. You see false religion consists
of Do. Do. You must do this. You must
do that. You must do this. You must do
that. Salvation that's of the Lord is D-O-N-E. Done. Done. Well done. Perfectly done. Eternally done. And will never
be undone. Never. Done. I like that. Our salvation is based upon His
faithfulness, not ours. Based upon His doing, not ours.
You see, it's not by works of righteousness which we have done,
but according to His mercy He saved us. It's God who saved
us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to God's own purpose and grace given us
in Christ before the foundation of the world. Our righteousness
before God is based upon His performance, not mine. That gives
us center rest. That gives us center peace. He
said, come unto me and rest. He didn't say, come unto me and
work. Come unto me and rest, all you that laboring and ebullient. I'll give you rest. You see, based upon His doing,
not ours, He's performed all things for us. Now let's read
one more scripture, and I'm going to close. about salvation resting
upon his faithfulness not my faithfulness Galatians chapter
2 look at verse 16 knowing Galatians 2.16 knowing that a man is not
justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus
Christ we're justified by the faith of Jesus Christ. Now it doesn't say by faith in
Jesus Christ, does it? You pick you up a modern translation
and you know what? They changed that word of to
in and they destroyed the meaning of this verse. Knowing that a
man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith,
but by faith, by the faith of Jesus Christ. Even we have believed
in Him that we might be justified by the faith of Him." You see
what that's saying there? Not by the works of the law,
for by the works of the law shall no flesh, no flesh be justified by the faith of Christ, the faithfulness
of the Lord Jesus Christ.